The Providence of Fire: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book II (utgåvan 2015)

If Book 1 was Varyn's - subtitle, "The Idiot" - then Book 2 is Adare's - subtitle, "The Fool".

Part of what got me started on this set was thinking that it was complete. My mistake. The force of "must complete!" might have been enough to take me through a book I could start now. But waiting for Book 3 ... not sure if Kaden's story is sufficient. ( )

Overall I enjoyed this novel very much.it all came together well at the end, and I'm not sure how I feel about the three main characters in the book, which is actually a good thing. All of the characters are growing, developing and seeming to make some colossal mistakes or are they mistakes? I love the way the author keeps shifting the pieces, is someone a villain just because they assassinate an Emperor, or could it be much more complex than that? The author seems to be setting up for a long game and the characters and their motives and the way they go about accomplishing their goals can make them both hero and villain at any given time and differs from the perspective you are looking from.

good read, well done!
Actual ratings 4.5 stars ( )

It took six weeks to read because of life circumstances, a little longer than I expected, which is always a risk with a book this long. I stick with it and read the last 150-pages in one sitting. Great story and world building. Unexpected turns. Painful experiences for the characters. Dark and violent. Surprising friendships and breaks in relationships. The end of the book definitely sets the stage for the continued story. ( )

The second book in this series, while not as good as the first in my opinion, is still really, really good. There are lots of surprises in it, some of them predictable and others not, but all of them are believable and don't just come out of nowhere.

There are a slew of new characters introduced, but my favorites are Nira and Kiev. These two have very different personalities, but both are fascinating characters, and I want to know more about them. However, I think Pyrre and the Flea are still my favorite characters.

On my review of the previous book, I said I wished there was more story focusing on Adare. We definitely got that in this book, but unfortunately, I ended up not liking her at all. She makes some maddening idiotic decisions even when she knows better. I know she's supposed to be a pretty sheltered and naive character, but it's still frustrating to read.

Overall, this has been one of the better series that I've read in quite awhile. I'm very much looking forward to the conclusion. ( )

The middle book of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne made some significant improvements from the first. The three siblings have more balanced time in the spotlight, and some chapters get Gwenna (the demolitions expert of Valyn's wing) as the POV.

Kaden and Valyn are more active in moving the plot now that they are free of their earlier obligations. Adare is still playing a major part in the politics of the empire. All three make some blunders along the way, whether due to brashness, lack of confidence, or inexperience. One at least, begins to learn how to maneuver their opponents against each other and is fun to read as the plans unfold.

Many questions are answered, which open up new ones for the finale. The book also begins to set up two siblings against each other for the fate of the empire. While all this is happening, others begin to reveal plans of their own. ( )